Hellraisers Journal: Eugene V. Debs on “Social Democracy” and the Social Democratic Party of America

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Quote EVD, On overthrow of ruling class power, SD Hld, Oct 8, 1898~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday October 9, 1898
Debs on Capitalism Run Riot and the Battle for Social Democracy

From the Social Democratic Herald of October 8, 1898:

Social Democracy

-by Eugene V. Debs

EVD, New Time Magazine, Feb 1898

In the outset, and to “clear the deck” for action, some attention should be paid to definitions. What is meant by the term, “Social Democracy?” The term “social” as applied to “democracy” means, simply, a society of democrats, the members of which believe in the equal right of all to manage and control it. Reading this definition, men are likely to say, “There is nothing new in that,” and they speak understandingly. The men and women who are engaged in organizing the Social Democratic Party of America are not pluming themselves upon the novelty of their scheme for the improvement of social, industrial, and political conditions. They claim for their movement a common-sense basis, free from the taint of vagary and in all regards preeminently practical.

The wise man is credited with saying, “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun” [Ecclesiastes 1:9]. Crediting the declaration of Solomon as conclusive, there must have been a time before he lived when something like “social democracy” of which I write existed in the earth, the germ idea of which, though latent for centuries, has aroused men from their lethargy from time to time in the processes of evolution, to find its most potent expression in the present era of “progress and poverty,” civilization and savagery, wealth and war, charity and greed, aroused them to an interest in socialism, which, with the chivalric courage of crusaders and the revolutionizing zeal of iconoclasts, has appeared to do battle for the regeneration of society.

No one hesitates to admit that the task is herculean; no one underestimates the power of opposing forces. Their name is legion, and they are organized forces—close, compact, resourceful, and defiant. They do not propose to surrender, compromise, nor arbitrate. They have the masses in the dust, their claws upon their throats and their hooves upon their prostrate forms. In the face of all the verified facts that startle thinking men, there is no requirement for extravagant speech.

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Hellraisers Journal: Lincoln Steffens Interviews Eugene Debs: “We believe in…the possibility of the love of man for man.”

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When things are rearranged so that
I can help my fellow man best by helping myself,
…then, I shall love him more than ever.
-Eugene Victor Debs
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Monday October 5, 1908
Milwaukee, July: Eugene Debs Interviewed by Lincoln Steffens

From Everybody’s Magazine of October 1908:

Part II:

EVD, Title Debs by L Steffens, Everybodys p455, Oct 1908

—–

[Debs on the Evils of Capitalism]

EVD, Debs by L Steffens, Everybodys p463, Oct 1908

[Said Debs, without waiting for questions:]

To begin with, we Socialists know what the matter is: it’s Capitalism; and we know what the cure is: it’s Socialism.

“Words,” I muttered.

[Said he, drawing near and reaching out his hands:]

No. Capitalism is a thing, a system; it’s the organization of society under which we all live. And it’s wrong, fundamentally wrong. It is a system of competition for wealth, for the necessities of human life, and, a survival of the old struggle of the jungle, it forces the individual to be selfish, and rewards him for beating and abusing his fellow man. Profit is made the aim of all human effort, not use, not service. The competitive system sets man against man, class against class; it puts a premium upon hate; and love—the love of a man for his neighbor—is abnormal and all but impossible. The system crucifies the prophets and servants of mankind. It pays greed the most, honors highest the ruthless, and advances swiftest the unscrupulous. These are the fit to survive.

Debs seized my arm.

It’s wrong, isn’t it? It’s inherently unjust, inhuman, unintelligent, and—it cannot last. The particular evils you write about, graft and corruption, and the others about which I speak, the poverty, crime, and cruelty, they are evidences of its weakness and failure; the signs that it is breaking down.

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Hellraisers Journal: Lincoln Steffens Interviews Eugene Debs, “Labor Agitator” & “The Keeper of the Socialist Heaven”

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Old John Brown set an example of moral courage
and of single-hearted devotion to an ideal
for all men and for all ages.
-Eugene Victor Debs

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday October 4, 1908
Milwaukee, Wisconsin – Lincoln Steffens Interviews Eugene Debs

From Everybody’s Magazine of October 1908:

Part I:

EVD, Title Debs by L Steffens, Everybodys p455, Oct 1908
—–

EVD, Debs by L Steffens, Everybodys p460, Oct 1908

EDITOR’S NOTE.-“I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness,” said John the Baptist, when they questioned his mission. And his was the voice of promise of a new order of things. This voice of promise has come down the ages, sometimes almost stilled, again rising into tones of thunder. But always it has been a call to the poor and the unhappy-to the “rabble.” Unworthy mouth-pieces that voice has had, and blatant. But, for weal or for woe, whenever and wherever it has reached its full volume no earthly power has been able to drown its insistent cry. Is that voice to-day rising toward its highest note? Or do we hear merely the droning of false creeds? The voice of established order sounds clear and seemingly strong. But in Europe the cry of Socialism (they say it is applied Christianity) already bids fair to become dominant. In America more than a million thrill at its call. Debs is their voice. Fanatic or prophet? Inspired or insane? Only time will tell. But, for weal or for woe, we must listen. Debs believes that he voices the cry of a people wronged, and he believes he has the remedy for that wrong. For this reason we have asked him to talk to you. If he is a public enemy, you have here the chance to be come forearmed by being forewarned. We present you his gospel.

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Hellraisers Journal: Eugene V. Debs: “The Social Democratic Party has made a grand beginning.” Calls Comrades to Duty

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Quote EVD, SDP Clarion Call, SD Hld, Sept 24, 1898
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Friday September 30, 1898
Chicago, Illinois – Eugene Debs Calls Comrades to Duty

From the Social Democratic Herald of September 24, 1898:

To Our Comrades!
[-by Eugene V. Debs]

EVD re Social Democracy, SLTb p3, Feb 9, 1898

The summer’s heat is ended, and with the bracing air of autumn comes the call to duty. The slogan has been sounded, and every true comrade will hasten to his post.

The Social Democratic Party has made a grand beginning. In its councils harmony and enthusiasm prevail. In every department there is confidence and goodwill. The local branches are composed of true socialists, and, with but few exceptions, are in excellent order. The party has made many of its nominations for fall election, and now steady work, unabating energy, and unfaltering courage are required to make the record of the campaign a certificate of the party’s soundness and splendor.

Therefore, each comrade to his task—alert, dutiful, determined. The very mustering of the forces is an inspiration. The contemplation of the battle makes the blood flow quicker and the heart throb faster. What ecstasy for the soul not dead or stupefied! By its vivifying magic even the rag of poverty becomes a royal robe and the face of misery glows with the soul-born promise of deliverance.

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Hellraisers Journal: From The Industrial Union Bulletin: “On the Advance” in Philadelphia by Elizabeth Gurley Flynn

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Quote EGF, Paine and Liberty, IUB p2, Sept 19, 1908
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday September 29, 1908
Philadelphia – Organizer Gurley Flynn Describes Two Weeks’ Sojourn

During the month of August, Fellow Worker Elizabeth Gurley Flynn was found in the “Quaker City” organizing on behalf of the Industrial Workers of the World.

From The Industrial Union Bulletin of September 19, 1908:

ON THE ADVANCE
[by Elizabeth Gurley Flynn]
.

EGF, Ptt Prs p47, Sept 27, 1908

A year ago when I visited Philadelphia, there was no I. W. W. in existence and my weeks’ agitation found only about twelve bonafide, but scattered advocates of industrial unionism. Today thru the hard work and determined efforts on the part of these few unaided and encouraged, by passing organizers and speakers, there is a thriving movement in Philadelphia, now establishing its own headquarters, and if the Quaker City has not its quota of representatives at the convention this year, it can only be blamed on the capitalist class and panic.

* * *

This year my two weeks’ sojourn in Philadelphia started out under rather inauspicious circumstances, as the facts already forwarded to the Bulletin, concerning the Bakery Workers, will amply show. However, once we were rid of Mr. I. Roth and his attempts to make our organization a cloak for his label-selling and scab-furnishing schemes for the stooges, our general agitation meetings were highly successful.

The first week we held three open-air meetings, commencing August 20th, on the City Hall Plaza. An “Ancient Order of Hiberian [Hibernians]” Convention was going on that week in Philadelphia, and the celebration on this evening took the form of an Irish parade, from which we were able to extract an excellent crowd of about 300 people, in spite of the attempts of the North American to conceal our identity by a meager little five-line announcement tucked away in an inconspicuous corner. The convention had declared for Home Rule for Ireland, while we declared for Home Rule for the United States, by the people of the U. S., the working-class, and for two hours industrial unionism as the means of organizing to bring this about was expounded by Fellow Worker McAlvy and myself.

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Hellraisers Journal: Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, on Way to Chicago IWW Convention, Interviewed by Pittsburg Press

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Quote EGF re Useless Capitalist Class, Ptt Prs p47, Sept 27, 1908~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Monday September 28, 1908
Pittsburg, Pennsylvania – Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Talks of Socialism

On their way to Chicago to attend the Convention of the Industrial Workers of the World, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Jones and her husband, J. A. Jones, stopped off at Pittsburg where Gurley Flynn was interviewed for the Pittsburg Press regarding her views on Socialism and Suffrage.

From The Pittsburg Press of September 27, 1908:

EGF Quotes n Interview, Ptt Prs p47, Sept 27, 1908

The force of Miss Elizabeth Gurley Flynn’s personality impresses one the first five minutes one talks to her. This girl Socialist leader is not wildly enthusiastic nor does she “rant” as would be expected of a young, prominent, Socialistic leader, but there is a quiet, compelling strength about her words and herself that claims and holds the attention immediately.

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Hellraisers Journal: From the Appeal to Reason: The Red Special Rolls on from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Salt Lake City

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Quote EVD re Red Special, AtR p2, Sept 19, 1908
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Saturday September 26, 1908
The Socialist Red Special Rolls On Across the Great Plains

Eugene V Debs, EVD, Girard Prs p8, May 21, 1908

The journey of the Red Special across the American Great Plains is well documented in the following article from the Appeal to Reason. An inspiring message from Comrade Debs describes the thousands of cheering supporters who greeted the Socialist Party’s presidential candidate in Colorado. As an added bonus, in this same edition of the Appeal, we find Comrade Haywood speaking in Enid, Oklahoma, and preparing for a tour of the great state of Kansas.

From the Appeal to Reason of September 19, 1908:

EVD Red Special, On To Coast, AtR p2, Sept 19, 1908

—–

From Debs.

DEAR APPEAL: The meeting at Denver last night can’t be described. The great Coliseum was packed and jammed and the surrounding streets filled with cheering, shouting Socialists. The scene can never be forgotten. Thousands could not get near the speakers. Have just left Colorado Springs, where we had a splendid meeting, notwithstanding the crowd, through a misunderstanding, was at the wrong depot. Five minutes after arrival at any station the “Red Special” has a crowd. We are thoroughly organized and take full advantage of every minute. We are ready to drop off at a minute’s notice and make a speech of half a minute to a hundred people, or two hours to twenty thousand people.

We are now up in the mountains and from far up the rock-ribbed sides of the Rockies can be seen the fluttering handkerchiefs of the Socialist miners and prospectors and their wives from the cabin doors and windows. It is great, thrilling, inspiring.

Marvelous transformation! The miracle is working out all around us and before our very eyes, and the Socialists seem to spring from the soil to join in the exultation. These grand old mountains all about us are smiling their benediction upon us and the green-plumed pines along our iron highway seem to sway in gladness and join in the applause.-E. V. DEBS.

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Hellraisers Journal: Eugene Debs Tours Nation on Red Special from Spokane to New Ulm, Minnesota, to Indianapolis

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The Socialist Party is the political expression of
the socialist movement in the emancipation of
the working class from wage slavery.
-Eugene Victor Debs
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Friday September 25, 1908
Long Cheers Welcome the Red Special in Spokane, Washington

On September 16th, the Red Special carried Socialist Party Presidential Candidate Eugene Debs into the city Spokane. By September 20th our indefatigable comrade was found in New Ulm, Minnesota. Debs is scheduled to speak at Tomlinson Hall in Indianapolis tonight.

From the Spokane Spokesman-Review of September 17, 1908:

Thousands Greet Debs in Spokane

EVD Socialist f Prez, Sx Fls SD Arg Ldr p6, Aug 6, 1908

Class conscious socialism had its inning in Spokane last night when 3,000 people turned out at the Great Northern depot to greet Eugene V. Debs, Socialist candidate for President, upon the arrival here of his “Red Special,” and later when 4,000 people paid 15 and 25 cents each admission and contributed $203 additional in voluntary collection to hear him deliver an address at the armory.

Both gatherings were comprised largely of men of the laboring classes. In both gatherings starched shirts were the rare exception and at the depot assembly many men appeared in working clothes minus their coats. The train, which was due to arrive at 3:30, was three hours late and the greater portion of the crowd remained at the depot throughout the entire interval in the excess of their zeal or their curiosity to see the man who is making his third Socialist race for the Presidency.

Long Cheering Welcomes Train.

Even after their long wait they were disappointed in their desire to see the candidate. They caught sight of the train as it pulled into the depot yards and gave vent to a cheer which lasted two or three minutes, but Mr. Debs, who had already delivered six speeches yesterday, had retired for a little sleep and his companions were reluctant to permit him to be disturbed.

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Hellraisers Journal: Eugene Victor Debs Addresses the Court: “The cross is bending, the midnight is passing…”

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Quote EVD, The Cross is Bending, Sept 14, 1918
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Monday September 16, 1918
Cleveland, Ohio – Eugene Debs Address the Court, Part II

On September 12th, Comrade Debs was convicted under the Espionage law on charges based upon his Anti-War Speech delivered at Canton, Ohio, on June 16th. On Saturday September 14th, Debs appeared at Federal Court in Cleveland, Ohio, in order to receive the sentence of Judge Westenhaver. The motion for a new trial was denied and Debs was asked if he had anything to say before sentence was pronounced. Comrade Debs faced the Judge and spoke:

STATEMENT TO THE COURT, PART II

EVD, Debs to Terre Haute, Ipl Str p2, Sept 15, 1918

I believe, Your Honor, in common with all Socialists, that this nation ought to own and control its own industries. I believe, as all Socialists do, that all things that are jointly needed and used ought to be jointly owned—that industry, the basis of life, instead of being the private property of the few and operated for their enrichment, ought to be the common property of all, democratically administered in the interest of all.

John D. Rockefeller has today an income of sixty million dollars a year, five million dollars a month, two hundred thousand dollars a day. He does not produce a penny of it. I make no attack upon Mr. Rockefeller personally. I do not in the least dislike him. If he were in need, and it were in my power to serve him, I should serve him as gladly as I would any other human being. I have no quarrel with Mr. Rockefeller personally, nor with any other capitalist. I am simply opposing a social order in which it is possible for one man who does absolutely nothing that is useful, to amass a fortune of hundreds of millions of dollars, while millions of men and women who work all of the days of their lives secure barely enough for existence.

This order of things cannot always endure. I have registered my protest against it. I recognize the feebleness of my effort, but, fortunately, I am not alone. There are multiplied thousands of others who, like myself, have come to realize that before we may truly enjoy the blessings of civilized life, we must reorganize society upon a mutual and cooperative basis; and to this end we have organized a great economic and political movement that spreads over the face of all the earth.

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Hellraisers Journal: Eugene V. Debs Sends Message to Comrades of Newly Formed Social Democratic Party of America

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Quote EVD, Modern Wage Slave, Terre Haute May 31, 1898, Debs-IA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Monday July 18, 1898
Eugene V. Debs: “The Social Democratic Party of America lives.”

From the Chicago Social Democratic Herald of July 16, 1898:

The Future

To the Social Democratic Party.

Comrades:—

EVD, New Time Magazine, Feb 1898

That I have not earlier sent greeting to my comrades is due to prolonged indisposition. The incessant work and travel of more than 20 years have temporarily placed me hors de combat [out of the fight]. But only temporarily. With returning health and strength my work will be continued. It is not a little disquieting to have to “let go,” even for a little while, when there is such urgent need for action.

The separation at the late convention was inevitable. It had to come. The contemplation of division was painful, as only those can fully realize who were party to it. But painful as it was, the operation had to be performed. And it was a success, for the Social Democratic Party of America lives. All the members are full fledged socialists. They are in accord with the program of international socialism. There is not only in the number opposed to independent political action, not one that asks or expects anything from any old capitalist party, by whatever name it may be called.

There is harmony. There is oneness of purpose, there is true-hearted fidelity to principle, there is unrelaxing energy, and these qualities in alliance presage success.

So I contemplate the course of events with serenity.

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